The Evolution of Everything: How Ideas Emerge

'Matt Ridley is the most engaging and compelling of companions in his The Evolution of Everything, taking the reader on a journey from 5th century BC Athens to China's one child-policy, from Edison's light bulb to the Mexican mafia. A fascinating argument for the application of Darwin's theory to pretty much everything, the book's overarching thesis enables Ridley to engage with so much that is captivating - the evolution of law, of morality, of population, of the brain; the chapter on the evolution of technology is particularly brilliant. Even if you don't agree with it all, you won't have a dull moment.'

Vanessa Beaumont has been working in books for the last ten years, as an editor of fiction and non-fiction and latterly a literary agent. She lives in West London and is currently plotting her next literary move, primarily to escape two boys under the age of two.